Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34888893›Full record

ArticlePaediatric and perinatal epidemiology2022

Group B Streptococcus real-time PCR may potentially reduce intrapartum maternal antibiotic treatment.

Nir Kugelman, Shiran Kleifeld, Pninit Shaked-Mishan, Wisam Assaf, Inbal Marom, Nadav Cohen, Maya Gruber, Ofer Lavie, Dan Waisman, Reuven Kedar and 2 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Rapid tests for detecting group B streptococcus colonization in pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Nir KugelmanDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.ORCID 0000-0002-2473-7408
Shiran KleifeldDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Pninit Shaked-MishanClinical Serology and Virology Laboratory, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Wisam AssafDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Inbal MaromDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Nadav CohenDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Maya GruberDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Ofer LavieDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Dan WaismanRappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
Reuven KedarDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Mordehai BardicefDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Amit DamtiDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology · ILCarmel Medical Center · IL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProtocols for preventing early-onset group B streptococcal (GBS) neonatal infection may result in unnecessary antibiotics administration. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can provide a result within 30-60 min and has been found to be specific and sensitive for defining intrapartum GBS status.

objectiveTo evaluate whether implementation of GBS fast real-time PCR to all women who require GBS prophylaxis may reduce the use of maternal prophylactic antibiotics.

methodsThis prospective cohort study included women admitted to a single delivery ward who required prophylactic antibiotics either due to a positive antepartum GBS culture screening performed at 35-37 weeks or due to an unknown GBS status with an intrapartum risk factor. All the women were tested by a double vaginal swab (real-time PCR and culture) as soon as it became apparent, they required antibiotic prophylaxis and prior to its administration.

resultsBetween May 2019 and August 2020, 303 women met eligibility criteria and were enrolled, but four were excluded from the analysis due to failed culture or PCR tests. Of 299 women included in the study, 208 (69.5%) and 180 (60.2%) women, showed no evidence of GBS on intrapartum culture or PCR, respectively. Of 89 GBS antepartum carriers, 43 (48.3%) and 32 (35.9%) had negative intrapartum culture and PCR results, respectively. Of the 210 women with risk factors, 165 (78.5%) were culture negative and 148 (70.4%) had a negative PCR. Using intrapartum culture as the gold standard, intrapartum GBS real-time PCR was found to have a sensitivity of 97.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 92.3, 99.7) and a specificity of 85.6% (95% CI 80.1, 90.1).

conclusionsCompared with antepartum universal culture screening or intrapartum risk-factor assessment, the need for maternal antibiotic treatment may be substantially reduced by implementation of intrapartum GBS real-time PCR, without compromising the sensitivity of GBS detection.

Indexed as

Pregnancy Complications, InfectiousStreptococcal InfectionsAnti-Bacterial AgentsFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornMalePregnancyProspective StudiesReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionStreptococcus agalactiaeAnti-Bacterial Agentsantibioticsculturegroup B streptococcusintrapartumPCRscreening

Identifiers

PMID34888893
OpenAlexW4200231456

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.